JP 2007-331871 A discloses a double-decker elevator. The known elevator has a car frame in which two elevator cars are arranged one vertically above the other. The two elevator cars each stand on a support with sheaves, lifting cables being guided around the sheaves. A drive unit, around which the lifting cable is guided, is moreover provided on the car frame. By actuating the lifting cable by means of the drive unit, the elevator cars suspended in this way can be raised and lowered relative to the car frame. As a result, the two elevator cars can be positioned differently inside the car frame.
The double-decker elevator known from JP 2007-331871 A has the disadvantage that the mechanism provided for suspending and adjusting the elevator cars requires a relatively large amount of space. For example, the sheaves of the top elevator car, on which the top elevator car is suspended, require a certain structural space that, in the case of a predetermined structural space for the car frame, restricts the remaining space for the elevator car both vertically and horizontally. This also applies to the bottom elevator car. Specifically with respect to the architecturally predetermined shaft dimensions, this thus results in a reduced cross-section remaining for the elevator cars, which entails smaller elevator cars. Moreover, the space required vertically is also increased, which imposes additional demands on the design of the elevator shaft in terms of its end regions.